Trade Union Association of Bohemia, Moravia & Silesia (OS ČMS) expresses its fundamental opposition and backlash to our government’s intention to push through Czech National Parliament another amendment of the Labour Codex to be considered by them during its session in August 21, 2024.
From the point of view of OS ČMS, this is another negative step by the government against employees in their unequal employment position against employers. It is therefore necessary to ask again whose interests are primarily defended by the current five-coalition government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala under the leadership of the Civic Democratic Party. It is also necessary to ask in whose interest the so-called “liberalisation of labour law” is taking place, which will bring the Czech Republic back to the 1920s from the point of view of employee protection.
OS ČMS considers it unacceptable to lower the threshold for youth work since reaching 14 years of age, albeit with parental consent, to work part-time with a ban on night work and only to perform “light work” for a maximum of 35 hours per week. It is absurd that at a time when the global problem is child labour instead of education and preparation for life, when officially 160 million children are doing wage work, child labour would be legalised in the Czech Republic!
As a matter of principle, the OS CMS disagrees, too, with extending the probationary period from three to four months and with executives from six to eight months. This is a step that would further deepen the economic insecurity of employees, allowing illegal forms of pressure on employees by the employers. It should be noted that during the probationary period the employment relationship may end from one day to day, from hour to hour, without any reasons being given. The probationary employee has no economic and social security. This proposal will not contribute to the flexibility of the market or to the selection of quality employees. On the contrary, it will work as one of the tools to depress the price of labour, i.e. wages and saving the costs of the employer. This is undesirable from our point of view towards employees.
Similarly, we view the regulation of the calculation of periods of notice when giving notice, the shortening of the notice period. The economic and social insecurity of employees will deepen again in this case. The calculation of periods from the day following the giving of notice and the counting of the incomplete calendar month as a whole will reduce the notice period in some cases to one calendar month. This deterioration in conditions for employees cannot be compensated by higher severance payments. We remind that if an employee wants to terminate the employment relationship, he can always agree with the employer today and there is no need to apply the notice period, also both parties can agree on a higher amount of severance payments beyond the limits set by law.
From the point of view of OS ČMS, the efforts of the Civic Democratic Party to push through the amendment of giving notice without giving a reason by the employer are completely unacceptable and irrelevant.
OS ČMS is of the opinion that the arrangement in favour of employees while ensuring the security of the same job for employees after returning from parental leave within two years, the possibility to carry out work for the employer during parental leave on an agreement on work activities or on an agreement on the performance of work can be perceived positively. However, only if the employer’s obligation to hold the job remains on returning within three years of the child’s age.
The negatives of the proposed amendment to the Labour Code are not outweighed by the possibility to receive the incomes in foreign currency, in Euros for example, for an extended range of employees.
Therefore, the Trade Union Association of Bohemia, Moravia & Silesia rejects the government’s proposal for an amendment to the Labour Code as a whole and considers it to be significantly anti-popular, against the interests of employees, not respecting their differently tied position on the labour market vis-à-vis employees.
We refuse to let the government return employees back to the 1920s under the attractive slogans of dealing with inflation, the indebtedness of the Czech Republic and the so-called “liberalisation of labour law” and legalisation of child labour!
OS ČMS Central
In Prague August 21, 2024
